CA's China visit: Possibility of new dimension in diplomatic ties

The upcoming visit of Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh and Nobel laureate economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus to China is being viewed with great importance by diplomatic circles. They say that this visit may open a new horizon in diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Chief Adviser, scheduled from March 26 to March 29, will meet with top Chinese leaders and participate in various important events.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China. China recognized Bangladesh in 1975 and established diplomatic relations. On this occasion, both countries are taking various initiatives to increase mutual cooperation. The Bangladeshi ambassador to China sees this visit as a great opportunity to improve relations between the two countries.

According to Yao Wen, the Chinese ambassador to Dhaka, Professor Yunus's visit will be a milestone in view of the 50th anniversary.

On the other hand, the press secretary of the chief advisor, Shafiqul Alam, recently said that it will be possible to take the relations between the two countries to a new height through this visit.

Dr. Yunus's visit can further expand the scope of existing trade and investment between Bangladesh and China. According to experts, this visit will deepen Bangladesh-China relations and increase economic cooperation between the two countries.

Analysts believe that this visit can be helpful in maintaining a balance in geopolitics.

Analysts think that this visit can create a new position for Bangladesh in international politics. They said Bangladesh's diplomatic relations with India are strained after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. Meanwhile, the policy of the current US administration is still unclear about Bangladesh.

Again, on the one hand, there is hostility with India over the issue of China's regional dominance, while on the other hand, China's hostility with the United States has intensified in the global arena.

As a result, this visit will play a very important role in the geopolitical context of Bangladesh later.

In addition to its political role, analysts believe that this visit will have a positive impact on Bangladesh in the economic and commercial sectors.

China is one of Bangladesh's largest trading partners and a major partner in infrastructure development. The annual trade volume between the two countries is about 18 billion US dollars, of which Bangladesh's exports are close to one billion dollars.

As Bangladesh is a partner of China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI), China has direct investment in various major projects in the country. These include mega projects such as the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway.

Dr. Yunus' visit may open the door to new investment and technical cooperation. One of the objectives of this visit may be to attract Chinese investment, especially in the technology sector of Bangladesh.

Analysts believe that Dr. Yunus' visit to China can take Bangladesh-China relations to a new height. This visit will increase mutual cooperation and create the possibility of stronger bilateral agreements in the future.
As China is one of the largest infrastructure development partners of Bangladesh, the future of the economic partnership between the two countries is expected to be stronger.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus' visit to China is being considered an important step in the diplomatic and economic fields of Bangladesh. The visit will further increase trade, investment and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

This visit will not only strengthen the relationship between Bangladesh and China, but will also play an important role in the geopolitical context of Asia.

Earlier, during his last visit to China, the Foreign Adviser had requested the country to increase the repayment period of China's loans for various projects in Bangladesh to 30 years. In addition, he also said that the interest rate on the loan should be reduced from two-three percent to one percent.

In this regard, Professor Mostafizur Rahman, Honorary Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue - CPD, says that it is expected that the issues discussed during the Foreign Adviser's visit will also be discussed at the highest level.

He said that whether deferred payment facilities are available for large imports from China should also be an important part of the discussion. Because, a significant part of Bangladesh's foreign exchange goes to meet China's import costs. Therefore, if this initiative is taken, it will be a source of relief for Bangladesh, which is in a foreign exchange crisis.

Meanwhile, economists believe that it will also be positive if an agreement is reached on new projects and loan payment deadline extension for ongoing projects.

Schedule of the visit and important activities

Dr. Yunus left for China from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on March 26. The first destination of the visit will be Hainan Province, where he will participate in the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference. He will deliver a keynote speech at the opening plenary session on March 27.

He will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on March 28. The two leaders will discuss key issues in bilateral relations, including economic cooperation, infrastructure development, trade expansion and regional security. He will also meet with Ding Zhuojiang, Executive Vice Premier of the State Council of China.

As part of his visit, he will visit Huawei's research and development center and Beijing University.

He will receive an honorary doctorate from the university. He will deliver a keynote speech at Peking University where he will discuss the relationship and future cooperation between Bangladesh and China.